Of Demons And Fairies
by Legiance
Summary: Set in the Fairy Tail Universe where Ichigo is born into it. Raised by the Darkness Dragon Isshin, how will the Darkness Dragon Slayer follow his life in Fairy Tail. This crossover is plot-heavy with a drawn out romance between Ichigo and Erza, along with other Fairy couples. Rated T. No lemon.
1. Author's Notes

Hey guys, so here's my FairyTail/Bleach crossover fanfiction. I know you want to just get on with the story, but there's just a few things I think I need to iron out, just in case. You don't have to read this but it may give you a heads up for whats ahead. Don't worry, I'll try to keep this brief.

In this story, Ichigo's always in Bankai clothes. Weird you might say? Maybe it is, yeah. But the thing is, I never really liked Zangetsu as it is, but I thought Tensa Zangetsu was cool as! The Zanpakutō will still be referred to as Zangetsu so dialogue will sound more fluid. Also, I think his clothes are a lot more cooler in Bankai.

I changed Ichigo's outfit a bit. I know! Outrage, right? I just felt that his normal Bankai, while being cooler than Gray (get it?), still didn't fit into the Fairy Tail universe. It was kind of, what's the word... mountain sage-y? The baggy trousers and ripped cloak just didn't cut it for this fanfic, so that's why his clothes are changed slightly. The story will describe his clothes better; all that has really been changed is that his trousers and more like skinny(ish) jeans and his shihakusho is neatly cut at the tail, not ripped.

What else... oh yeah! I'm going to try and not take away from Natsu too much in this fanfiction. Obviously since it's a Bleach/FairyTail crossover, Ichigo is going to be a more prominent figure, but I'll try and show Natsu to be strong as hell too. I'll probably do this by creating some OC characters for Ichigo to fight with when the others are fighting their respective opponents (like Laxus and the Raijinshū hiring a fourth person, maybe a mercenary or whatever.)

Finally, the characters might be a bit OOC, but it will hopefully be explained why. Ichigo is going to be a fair bit more friendlier, but I'll still try to bring in the bad-ass aspect of his nature. I JUST WANTED TO USE HIS POWERS OKAY?!

So, sorry for keeping you waiting and without further ado, let the story begin.

_Of Demons and Faires._


	2. The Beginning: Coming Home

Code:

**Magic Attack/Move**

_**"Someone saying a Magic Attack" or Hollow Ichigo speaking.**_

_**'Someone thinking a Magic Attack' or Hollow Ichigo thinking.**_

_"Speech."_

_'Thought.'_

_**"Beast/Dragon speech."**_

_**'Beast/Dragon thought.'**_

* * *

Ichigo's eyes slowly opened from his train-induced slumber, revealing a pair of lazy brown orbs. After a quick glance out of the adjacent window, he noticed the train was nearly at its destination; he was nearly back home. After a long year, he was nearly back in Magnolia. The orange haired nineteen-year-old subconciously moved his hand to his side, resting it on his sword; a long, black katana with an interlocking red and black hilt, completed by a short chain at the end. It was there, and as long as it was, he was calm.

That's a good point; his hair. His orange hair. It had caused Ichigo his fair share of trouble in his time. For some reason, people just didn't understand that some people did indeed have orange fibers growing out of their head; and for some reason, a brightly coloured barnet was all that was needed to be attacked. That being said, it wasn't as if Ichigo cared; if he did he would have dyed his hair black years ago. It would have definitely gone with his choice of clothes and colour scheme. Ichigo usually wore a black shihakusho. Underneath, he usually had a white, v-neck t-shirt that didn't quite reach where his coat split to reveal his neck, but was enough to cover his waist. This was acompanied by a pair of black, relatively skinny jeans and black boots. The shihakusho overcoat itself wasn't really like a regular one though; while it did sport a modest amount of chest and a smooth, unripped tail, it was more tightfitting than most, tighter at the waist to show off it's owners figure. As the crème de la crème, around Ichigo's neck, hanging directly down the middle of his chest, was a blood-red pendant, more dazzling than the sun itself.

The train came to a slow stop, gently creaking as it did. The Shinigami, a name appointed to Ichigo by the Daily Sorcorer and other magazines, rose from his seat and stepped out onto the platform to smell the fresh Magnolia air. But something was wrong. There were way too many people. It should have been a Sunday by Ichigo's books, so why on Earthland was the platform so busy? All he could make out from the chaos were a few select words...

_"Fairy... cannon... hurry."_

It wasn't much, but that was all Ichigo needed to hear. The young man had picked up on some rumours during his way back; something about a metal guild. However, the closer he got to his home, the more intense and graphic the rumours became. He had been notified by a local bartender about a certain Team Shadow Gear and brutal surprise attack. Taking it as nothing more than a hyperbolised rumour, Ichigo just left and went along his way; nonetheless, he did speed up his journey back to Fairy Tail, just incase there was some truth to the hearsay.

Needing some answers fast, Ichigo tapped one of the nearby platform attendents and inquired what was going on. What suprised the orange-haired teenager the most was the speed of the reply given to him. There was fear on the man's face, almost as if he was afraid he was going to be attacked if he didn't reply immediately. As the initial shock faded away, the truth of the current events sank in.

_"Fairy Tail's being attacked?" _There was a dark yet questioning edge to his voice that wasn't at all intentional. As the even moreso frightful attendent slowly nodded, Ichigo's jaw started to tense. He could feel eyes narrowing, anger intensifying the deep brown marbles in his face. If gazes could kill, this might have been the another second of hesitation, the Shinigami sped away from the battalion of trains, feet pounding against the ground. He wasn't going to flash-step there, that would be exhausting, meaning he wouldn't be able to fight at full power if he had to; so running would have to do. But no matter what, he knew one thing. No shitty cannon was going to destroy his home. His Fairy Tail.

* * *

This was horrible. Mirajane Straus was staring the second blast of the **Magical Convergent Cannon - Jupiter**. The black beam was heading towards them, towards Magnolia, towards Fairy Tail. Last time, Erza had used her Adamantine Armor to shield the city away from the black wave, but she wasn't in the right position to deflect it again; instead she was stuck in the stupid robot-guild-transformer-death-machine-cannon. Even if she were here right now, it would have meant nothing as her defensive armour crumbled under the last attack. There was no way to deflect this attack, none at all. The oldest Strauss sibling cursed herself for being so weak. She had lost her sister and know she was going to lose the rest of her family. She closed her eyes, not resigning herself death, but praying for some kind of divine miracle. A god, a demon. Anything would do.

_**"Dankū."**_

After a few seconds, confused why she was still breathing, the white haired beauty opened her strong, blue eyes, only to see a firm figure, holding infront of him a beautifully crafted black sword, cloaked in an equally black, slim shihakusho. But what danced infront of her eyes the most was his bright orange hair. That goddamn bright orange hair.

_"Ichigo..."_

* * *

He had gotten there in time. He might have had to flash step the last few hundred metres or so, but he was there on time. Ichigo thanked the Earthland gods that he had the common sense to recite the incantation for the Splitting Void; there was no chance in hell that he would have been able to cast it otherwise, let alone deflect this intense cannon. Ichigo made a mental note to ask what it was later so that he could avoid it in the future.

After the seemingly endless wave came to a flashy finish, which was suprising considering its deep black colour and all, the Dankū cracked, shattering into an uncountable number of smaller shards only seconds later, eventually fading into the air. The teenager heaved. The one problem with the spell was that it continuosly drained magic from the user and wouldn't stop until the attack was blocked or the user was out of magic. That's why Ichigo only used it when he knew he was stronger than the attack, because if he wasn't, he would die. This however, was an exception.

Turning his attention to the glares of wonder and confusion focused on his back, Ichigo decided to find the final fragments of information, even though he probably knew the answers.

_"Mira. Where's Natsu, Happy and Gray?" _Mirajane simply raised a finger pointing towards the giant mecha-guild.

_"And Erza?" _The oldest Strauss simply nodded, even though Ichigo had his back to her and couldn't see her. But who was he kidding? He knew exactly where Erza was, there was only one place she could be.

Turning his head slightly so he could look at his muted conversation partner out of the corner of his eyes, Ichigo asked the final question he needed to hear.

_"I heard some rumours about Levy, Jet and Droy. Mira, are they true?"_

She simply replied with a strained whimpering sound, which was all the answer that was needed.

_"I see." _Mirajane had to focus on him this time. There was edge to his voice, but not the edge that she had heard a few times before. No, this was something much more scarier. It sounded demonic, as if his words could create a flame that would make hell's bow down in shame. It scared her, but at the same time, it warmed her, as if no matter how hot the flames burnt, they wouldn't harm her.

_"Don't worry. Fairy Tail will be safe. Natsu, Happy and Gray will be safe. Erza will definitely be safe. I promise."_

And with that, the cloaked figure paced along an icy path that had already been made to the mecha-cannon-guild, flash-stepping every so often.

Yes. Fairy Tail will definitely be safe.

* * *

**GUYS! THE FIRST CHAPTER! Yeah, so here it is of the epic formally known as Of Demons and Fairies - Those of you who know where the title comes from shall receive the highest of fives! But yeah, I'm kind of really bad at double checking my work, so sometime soon I might have to get someone else to help me with proof reading my work; hopefully somebody that is better than me at this sort of thing! :P**

**Anyways, next chapter will be up as soon as I can; hopefully I can update this weekly, but we'll see. Either way, cya.**


	3. The Beginning: The Holy Light Of Victory

_"Phantom Lord..."_

Ichigo continued pounding his feet against the cold ice, mentally cursing the guild that he was heading towards. Fairy Tail was his home, his heart, and the fact that it was being attacked made his soul burn.

_"This guild will crumble. I will make it crumble."_ Ichigo growled to himself.

He knew that Gray's battle had finished. The furious dance of water and ice had subsided and Ichigo could still smell Gray's magic radiating outwards, meaning either he won, or his opponent had shown him mercy. That being said, the Strawberry knew that the Ice-mage wouldn't accept clemency no matter the situation, so chances are he had won. Ichigo mentally praised himself for working on his sensing and smelling abilities over his break away from home; while he still couldn't sense and recognise an acquaintance's magic from a distance, he could still recognise his family's. That was always a given.

What worried him however was Natsu and Erza's magic levels. They were dangerously low, not worryingly close to death, but closer than one would like. Then again, Ichigo had probably beaten Natsu to this point several times during their childhood. Sometimes, the boy only understood fists and a near-death-experience. The Shinigami decided to let the Salamander fight his own battle and instead focused on Erza's location. For some reason, he felt that Dragon Slayer was going to be perfectly fine and Erza was in way over her head.

He continued along the frozen path, scaled the giant, two-legged guild and entered through the mouth of the Jupiter cannon. He resumed his state of running as soon as he pulled himself up, following the overwhelmingly disgusting magical aura that was being exuded. It was heavy, not just as in strong, but in texture. The aura felt like sludge was oozing out of the air and trying to trickle down his body. Daunting didn't quite describe this muck, it was more disgusting than anything else; just overwhelmingly disgusting.

Ichigo continued towards the origin of the magical presence, through the winding passages, past the broken super-lacrima, past the unconscious body of a green cloaked man who seemed to be crying streams behind his half bandaged eyes. He continued until he reached a crumbled wall, debris surrounding it. This was it. Behind this entrance was Erza and whoever she was fighting. This was where the battle was going to begin.

* * *

Erza had primed a discarded sword. All she needed to do to plunge it through her and the bastard Jose was just a single, simple tug of her mind. Knowing that she would sacrifice everything for Fairy Tail, she steeled herself as she commanded the sword to fly towards her. She regretted not being able to spent another day with her nakama, she regretted that she couldn't stop Jose any other way; but most of all, she regretted that she wasn't able to stay alive long enough to see that man once more. While waiting for the speeding blade, Erza mentally berated herself for not being strong enough to welcome him back to the guild upon his return.

She waited for the cold steel, but it did not come.

Instead, Erza felt a force resisting against her mental pull; a familiar force. She turned around whilst in Jose's grip, her eyes widening in pure disbelief and confusion as she saw her glaring, orange-haired partner and saviour standing behind her, one hand carrying a beautifully black katana and the other holding back the sword of her would-be demise.

_"You... when?"_

* * *

Ichigo was furious. He tried not to let it show on his face, but it was in vain. His anger was obvious and he wasn't entirely sure how to conceal it. After a long year, he had come back to his childhood friend, his partner, trying to kill her opponent along with herself. Ichigo made a mental note to talk to her about this later.

_"You're kidding me, right? I come home after all this time and yet again I have to save you from doing something stupid and unnecessary? Give me a break already."_

The Strawberry savior held his head facing downwards slightly, his bright hair casting a shadow over his eyes. They were sharp, burning with an intense fire of frustration; however it wasn't long until they softened, his heart already forgiving his long missed friend.

_"Well what was I expecting anyway? You wouldn't be Erza if you weren't reckless at times."_

The female's eyes widened after narrowing from shame due to her nakama's previous tone. Her facial expression shifted from troubled to contempt as she realised her indirect forgiveness. This was Ichigo after all, forgiving her was kind of his thing. Well, that and being called Bumblebee by Laxus.

_"Well this is touching and all, but if you'd excuse the interruption, I have some Fairies to crush."_ Jose interrupted the moment Erza and Ichigo were sharing. This was the first time the latter of the two had heard his voice, and he was sure to remember it.

_"If you wouldn't mind, could you please let go of my redheaded friend here?"_ Ichigo knew that asking politely wasn't going to work, but he just needed an opening. Not sensing this trickery, Jose raised his right eyebrow, curiosity filling his mind. _"Now why would I do th-"_

Before the Wizard Saint could finish his sentence, he noticed that his black-clad opponent wasn't in his field of vision anymore. Instead, he was lower down, crouched and closer, about to swipe at Jose's body and cut him clean in half. In order to react quick enough to this tremendous speed, the Phantom Lord Guild Master had to release his prize, letting her slump onto the cold ground, cursing as he did so. He took a few moments to revise his battle plan in order to combat the extreme speed his new opponent just proved he wielded. The armour-bound beauty, otherwise known as Titania, picked herself off the ground, dusting off as she did so and eventually stood side-by-side with her reunited partner. A smirk grew on Jose's face as he became thrilled at the proposed battle ahead.

_"Well isn't this sweet? The Fairy King and Queen reunited at last. A Knight and her Demon." _Jose's voice started to rise in volume as adrenaline started gushing through his veins. _"WELL DON'T GET AHEAD OF YOURSELVES. EVEN THE PAIR OF YOU STILL CAN'T TAKE ON A WIZARD SAINT!"_

This could have come across as arrogance, but both Erza and Ichigo knew that there was some truth to the statement. Out of the hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of mages out there, only ten could become a Wizard Saint, meaning you practically had to be a monster to be one. And if Gramps was anything to go by, the bar was set pretty high.

Before either Ichigo or Erza could decide on a battle plan, Jose fired a stream of his purple Darkness magic, forcing the partners to escape in opposite directions. Without much interval, he fired an arsenal of bullet-like pelts. Erza simple evaded yet again, only sustaining a small scratch on her angle, whereas Ichigo opted to deflect the bullets using his sword and lightning-fast reflexes. His arm was a black blur as his blade flicked and pivoted in order to block all the shots. Both Erza and Ichigo knew they wouldn't have time to devise a plan together, meaning they had to rely on their previous teamwork from years past.

Deciding to go for the biggest threat, the Wizard Saint propelled himself towards the Shinigami by using his magic as a moving platform, appearing just behind the black-clad teenager. Following the movements of his opponent, Ichigo spun on his heel, his sword, Zangetsu, making it just in time to block a glowing, purple short-blade made of Darkness magic. Using this to his advantage, Ichigo forced Jose away with a push of his sword and jumped back to gain some distance. He then proceeded to flash step past Phantom Lord's Master, one hand holding Zangetsu high in the air.

_**"Getsuga Tenshō**__**"**_

The Zanpakutō was consumed in a black magic with a red outline, its form resembling a raging inferno that stretched all the way behind its caster. As the blade was swiped down, the dark, flame-like aura burst forward from it, growing significantly larger in size and forming a crescent shape. Jose held out his makeshift magic sword in front of him in order to protect himself from the attack, but the Getsuga Tenshō still managed to push him back a considerable distance, his locked feet creating an impressive gorge in the ground. The defender's eyes widened in awe. He had heard rumours about the power of the Darkness Dragon Slayer's signature attack and its raw power, but he never witnessed it for himself. Stern lips twitched into a small smirk and eventually a wide grin as he reveled in it's aptitude. Truly, this was going to be an enjoyable battle.

Erza, her Purgatory armour equipped, appeared in front of Ichigo. She charged towards Jose, swinging wildly at him as he struggled to fend her off and find his balance. The armour greatly increased the woman's speed and reflexes, that much was obvious as he was finding it taxing to continue evading. Finally finding his footing for a split second, Jose released another large beam of his magic, aiming to push his assailant back at least.

_"Erza, duck!"_

Titania chose to follow the voice of her partner, quickly squatting so that the ray would avoid her. As predicted, it rushed past her and into the open mouth of a certain Shinigami.

Ichigo kept his mouth open as he allowed the Darkness magic to pour into him, feeding and filling his own magic container. He cut his meal short, forcing his head down and to the side slightly, wiping his mouth and letting the remainder of the beam fly off in another direction.

_"That was disgusting. I'd rather have Natsu's cooking."_

Glowing, black, circular runes appeared in front of Ichigo's mouth as he parted his lips again, widening slightly.

_**"Darkness Dragon's..."**_

Knowing what was about to happen, the scarlet queen pushed against the ground, propelling herself away from her enemy as fast as possible to leave a direct path between him and her childhood friend.

_**"...Roar."**_

A heavy breath of Ichigo's own unique brand of Darkness magic erupted from his aperture, consuming everything in front of him and heading directly towards Jose, it's power enhanced greatly due to it's caster's recent meal. Jose fired his own attack, but due to it being so soon after his last, it was weaker; weak enough for the Darkness Dragon's Roar to overpower it.

After the dust cleared, the Guild Master was still standing, panting and struggling, but still standing. Ichigo mirrored him, performing a similar action. He had poured a considerable amount of his magical energy into that attack; he figured that a drawn out battle with Jose would be too destructive to the city and might not be his best bet. Erza was weak when the battle began due to her previous bout with the same opponent. He had to admit, Wizard Saints were on a different level to him. Maybe he could reach that level one day, but today was not that day.

_"Even if he's not down, he's not going to be moving for a while. Do you have a plan in mind?"_ Erza had sped over to stand next to her orange-haired friend, planning on using this bought time to devise a scheme.

Ichigo turned his head slightly, moving his eyes to meet the redhead's. He took a deep breath in order to keep his voice straight so he could state his proposition.

_"You know, we've only actually pulled it off once before. Now would probably be a good time to repeat that." _Erza looked at him, eyes wide, already anticipating what he was about to suggest. _"We could try it you know. The Unison Raid: Cero."_

Even though she called it, Erza couldn't believe what she was hearing. Admittedly, they had completed one accidentally before; but priests had spent lifetimes trying to repeatedly achieve a unison raid, so how could they possibly pull one off now. That being said, it wasn't as if there were many options. She could sense that Ichigo still had some magical power left, but so did Jose. If they continued, not only would she be useless, but the town could suffer much more damage than it already had. They had to finish this quick and the only way this was possible right now was through a Unison Raid. The Fairy Queen nodded to her King with a small smirk before attempting to sync her magic with his. This was always a challenge as it felt as if Ichigo's magic had two wavelengths, like there were two people, two parts to his magic. She forced herself to concentrate on merging her energy before a fatherly voice flowed into her ears.

_"Do not attempt something so far out of your reaches, my children."_

The voice permeated through the pair's ears like a fond memory. The Guild Master of Fairy Tail was like a father to them; well, more like a grandfather to be more precise.

_"There's no need to strain yourself. Leave the Cero for another day."_

Erza and Ichigo paid heed, leaving to the side and allowing the Master to take over their role of defeating Jose. Standing atop a pile of rubble, Makarov raised his finger, a holy light shining at its tip.

_"Jose," _the Master continued, _"According to Fairy Tail's custom for judgement,I shall give you until the count of three to yield."_

The dark Master's face dropped into a vicious scowl as he resented Makarov's ultimatum. Who was he to pass judgement on him? Sure, he was a fellow member of the Wizard Saints, but he was old. Too old to be passing any form of judgement.

_"Kneel."_ The Fairy Tail Master continued, his voice strained from anger. After what this barsted had done to his children, Makarov was going to make sure that he was humiliated. Makarow wanted him to suffer.

That was it, the final straw. Jose lunged towards his opponent. He was going to rip him to shreds. He was going to show him true despair.

_"One."_

Jose continued, screaming a battle cry as he did so. He wasn't going to lose. He wasn't going to kneel.

_"Two."_

There was no way he was going to back down. He was going to crush the Fairy scum and take his prized captive.

_"Three. Fairy Law, invoked!"_

The Fairy Master started to glow a bright, golden yellow as he pressed his palms together, making it seem as if he was gathering magical energy in his palms and letting it spill out like a river. His eyes started to glow the same colour as his magic starting rising, Jose still charging towards him.

A large rune appeared above the mobile guild, parting the clouds above and casting a shadow on the surrounding. Only a second later it shrank, magical energy focusing on one point before it was released and rained onto the building. The shades Jose had summoned to keep the rest of Fairy Tail busy were purged from existence.

Ichigo and Erza covered their eyes with their arms. Despite only hearing about it from stories, they knew what this was. This was Fairy Law, the blinding light of the Fairy that only targets those the caster sees as his enemies. This was the third Fairy Tail Guild Master's signature attack, his own addition to the legendary Fairy Magics. There wasn't even any need to shield their eyes; it wasn't possible for the light to blind or hurt them, they just did so out of instinct.

After the light had subsided, the surrounding area was left unarmed. The epicenter of the spell remained unphased, the only remnant of the ordeal being a pale Jose, his arms in front of him and mouth agape. He had never experienced light of this magnitude before. It blasted straight through him, nullifying all the magical energy he possessed. This was why Makarov was a Wizard Saint, there was no doubt.

_"Never come near Fairy Tail again..."_

Makarov continued to warn his crushed opponent to watch out for the Magic Council due to the destruction the two parties caused.

As the victor turned to walk away, a bulky, green figure materialised behind him, crying profusely. All Ichigo could hear was something about being sad, but his vision was the only thing he needed to pass judgement right now. Flashstepping to the side of this new figure, he brought a Darkness magic clad leg down onto the mans head, forcing him into the splitting ground.

_"You... I don't understand."_

The Master turned towards his two children. Even if they hadn't defeated Jose, they still came damn close. His eyes filled with pride; to him, they truly shone brilliantly in the light. He invited them to return to the guild with him; Erza complied but Ichigo stayed back, looking in the direction of another destroyed tower.

_"Sorry Master," _he started, _"but I have someone that I have to go and meet first."_ The sword-wielder turned to face the waiting pair._ "I made a promise."_

Nodding in approval, Makarov turned to walk back to his destroyed home. Erza followed suit, but not before adorning a wry smile and her Heart Kreuz Armour, both of which Ichigo noticed. Not long later, he jumped off the open platform on which he was standing, making his way to the secondary tower.

* * *

Natsu layed on the floor panting. As much as his body ached, he had to admit that that was the best fight he had had in a while. Today only solidified his previous theory, Dragon Slayers really packed a punch.

There was one problem though; he hurt too much to stand up. Everytime he tried to move, his body would just rebel against him. If he could only just get a hand up and have something to lean on, then he could probably make his way back to the guild; but sadly, as he turned his head to scan the area, he realised that the nearest pole was too far out of his reach and was way too short.

_"Need a hand there?"_

Natsu's ears perked up as his eyes widened in a delightful shock. He turned his head to see a relatively tall figure looming over him. The Fire Dragon Slayer's face lit up - metaphorically - as he put voice to face and recognised who was talking to him. So much had happened in the last year that he wanted to tell the man who he looked up to as an older brother; to the man who he deemed to be the 'nicer, guy Erza.'

Before Natsu could open his mouth and let all the stored stories flow out, Ichigo held out an arm and subsequent hand. Deciding on filling in the Shinigami with details later, Natsu valiantly raised his arm to accept Ichigo's grasp, eventually reaching his goal. This was what Natsu liked most about this brother figure; despite being stronger than him by a considerable amount, he was always treated like an equal. Strawberry never refused a surprise battle, he simply batted them off and continued with his day. He would discipline him here and there, sure, but he would never expect him to do something if it went against his will.

With a heave, Ichigo pulled Natsu to his feet where he swayed slightly before slumping back down. The orange-haired swordsman dipped down to catch the man who he saw as a younger brother before he fell to the ground, allowing him to lean on his shoulder with an arm around his neck, despite Natsu being marginally shorter.

Without saying another word, the pair of them made their way back onto the ice path that led to the shore. It had been a long day, but it was finally over. They had won. As the sun began to set, leaving a red tinge to the evening sky, the two dragons slowly walked back to Fairy Tail, back to their home.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO GUYS. Like strykerhl said, the last chapter was pretty short, so I decided to make this chapter twice as long. I have realised one thing while writing this though; FIGHT SCENES ARE HARD AS CRAP TO WRITE. I mean seriously, I think I might be a bit to descriptive to do this. Nonetheless, I SHALL POWER THROUGH! **

**Anyway, until next time, cya guys!**


	4. The Beginning: The Apology Of That Past

**Hey guys! So here's chapter three, The Apology Of The Past. I'm not going to lie, this took ages, but mainly because I didn't plan this. I just had a rough idea in my head. Well anyway, enjoy this chapter; I hope it was worth the wait :)**

**I do not own either Fairy Tail or Bleach. Shame, think of the money I'd earn if I did.**

* * *

A lot of things had happened to Natsu during the last year. He had become stronger, he had worked on his search for Igneel, but most of all, he had found Lucy. He wanted to bombard the man he was leaning on with all the events that had happened while he was gone, but there was one question that was more prominent in his mind than anything, for this was the reason why Ichigo had left.

"_Did you find him?"_

The questioned man turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Natsu before looking up at the sky, then back forward again. He shook his head solemnly side-to-side, silently answering the question. The human Fire Dragon followed suit, his expression becoming more dejected. He had hoped that if Ichigo had found who he was looking for, so could he.

Noticing the defeated look on his friends face, the Shinigami decided to offer something that he had hoped he wouldn't have to.

"_Hey Natsu, it's been a while, hasn't it? Fancy showing me how strong you've gotten sometime soon?"_

The Salamander's face instantly morphed into a more jovial persona. Gone was his solemn expression, instead replaced with a overwhelming intensity and a vigorous nod.

Ichigo sighed, realising his offer had improved the situation. It really did look like nothing had changed.

* * *

The Fairy Tail members were waiting impatiently back at the shore. The Master and Erza had come back only ten minutes ago, so the rest of the guild were still waiting for their Dragons. They had all seen Natsu's impressive display of fiery judgement upon his opponent and the wrath of Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō. Every single member of the family had to agree that, no matter how many times they saw the two fight, they would always be amazed. The pair of them may not have realised it yet, but there was something majestically beautiful about their magic.

After another ten minutes of waiting, two figures appeared on the ice path, now quickly making their way to the shore, seemingly teleporting forward every few seconds. A wide grin appeared on the faces of many of the awaiting; those who didn't have one either wore a small smirk or a warm smile, some with a few tears. Fairy Tail's Dragons were back, one from his long journey and both from their long battle.

* * *

Flash-stepping was a lot harder when you were dragging someone along. After a while, Natsu had built up enough strength to stand by himself, so Ichigo took that as permission to grab the younger teenager by the scarf and flash-step their way back to the shore. He knew it would make Natsu feel travel sick, but the Fairy King was becoming impatient to see his family again. It wasn't long until the pair reached their destination, in front of the people they cherished.

The orange-haired-teen stood there in an awkward silence, his nakama mirroring him in an intense battle-of-the-gazes, the only thing breaking the lull being the rose-haired dragon trying to recompose himself and settle his stomach.

"_Ichigo's home!" _Mirajane pounced at the man in question, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck. When she had seen him earlier, the situation hadn't really hit her. It was only when she was watching the battle unfold that she realised the significance of the events. Ichigo was here, not in a far off continent, but here, in Magnolia, back home. She bawled, mumbling incoherently at her black-clad friend as the rest of the guild started to crowd around him. Natsu was caught up in the wave of mages surrounding the long missed Darkness Dragon Slayer, but was saved by the strong, yet delicate, arm of Lucy pulling him under and out of the magical battalion. The only sounds that could be heard in the surrounding vicinity were the wails of joy, the cheers of delight, and the awkward laughs of Ichigo as he tried to pacify his comrades. Despite the destruction, this truly was a joyous day.

It was only when the clink of metal was heard before the crowd melted away. The wave of bodies parted to reveal a direct path between Ichigo and Erza, only a few meters separating them. The last time they had talked was during battle, so they didn't really have much time to clear their past. She started to close the gap, stopping a few feet in front of her returned partner.

The atmosphere was tense, a off mix of hostility and joy. The sun was lower now, casting a much deeper red over the pair to create a picturesque scene. As Ichigo was about to open his mouth to break the silence, the redheaded beauty launched herself at him, burying her face into the nape of his neck. Her arms grabbed and tightened around his back, while light sobs were made. Letting his eyes soften from impulse, Ichigo returned the hug, wrapping his arms around his broken best-friend, letting them fall to the mid-portion of her back. He wasn't mad at her; even on the day he left, he couldn't get angry with her. Call it a weakness, but it was just something he couldn't do.

"_S-s-sorry. I'm really sorry." _Titania's voice was strained, filled with emotion that she didn't even attempt to hide. _"I never meant…"_

In any other circumstances, the viewing members of Fairy Tail would have fallen to the ground in shock at the image of their Queen crying and stuttering, but this was different. Even though she always managed to keep a cool composure, Ichigo was her exception and they all knew it. Besides, it wasn't as if they were any better as everyone had started crying due to the scene that had just unfolded in front of them, even Natsu and Lucy.

As Erza started to continue apologising, Ichigo simply interrupted her. He still remembered the events of that day, but that was in the past; what mattered now was that he was back home.

* * *

**TURN BACK THE CLOCK, ONE YEAR IN THE PAST.**

It had been a week since Ichigo and Erza came back from their hardest mission to date. It was a high reward, S-class mission to slay a group of demons in the Valley of the Damned and, while they did manage to complete it, it wasn't without injury. The Shinigami had returned with a scar all the way across his torso where he had been sliced by the claws of the last demon, leaving him hospitalised for just under four days. It still stung, but Pōryushika-san had patched him up well, even though she had finished by using the back of her hand to slap him across his face.

What worried Ichigo the most though was Erza. He would notice her visit Pōryushika's home to see him, but whenever he sat up to greet her and have a conversation, she would just close her eyes and leave. It was cold and distant, unlike the armour-clad redhead he knew. That happened for the first two days; on the last two, Ichigo simply pretended to be asleep so he could see how long she would actually stay. In those two days and the three that followed, the Strawberry realised something. Erza was avoiding him.

He didn't know why though. Sure, the reason he was cut was because he was trying to protect her, jumping in between her and the demon. But did she blame herself for it? Was she feeling guilty? Whatever it was, Ichigo knew he had to clean up this mess before it became too troublesome to deal with. Erza had a habit of letting things like this snowball into catastrophic proportions.

The Dragon Slayer had just finished his drink before he smelled his partner walk through the large twin doors of the guild. Before the opportunity passed, he turned to call to her, beckoning her to come over. With a sigh, Erza relaxed the confused face she had instinctually adorned, slowly walking across the hall to the bar. After ordering her drink and having it served by Mirajane, the redhead tried to ignore the small-talk her orange-haired partner tried to have with her by focusing on her overgrown fringe. She was at the end of her fuse, but she knew the reason for her pent-up anger was illogical, so she tried to subdue it.

"_Erza, what's wrong with you recently? What happened on that mission that I don't know?"_

That was it. That was the last straw for the Scarlet Knight; not only did Ichigo make a mistake, but he didn't even know what it was that he did wrong? No, she made her resolve to tell him. She knew she might over-react slightly, but maybe this was what Ichigo needed.

"_What happened? What happened?"_ She could feel her blood flow start to increase. _"What happened is that you nearly died! WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT YOU JUMPED IN FRONT OF A BLOODY DEMON AND HAD YOUR CHEST SLICED OPEN!"_ The S-Class mage was effectively screaming now, gaining the attention of everyone in the mess hall. _"AND FOR WHAT REASON EXACTLY? BECAUSE I WAS IN DANGER? YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST LET ME TAKE THE HIT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FAULT AND MY FAULT ALONE! What's the worst that could have happened to me? I could have lost an arm, sure; but atleast I would be the only one to blame. Instead, you decide to take the hit for me and make me feel guilty. I can look after myself you know, I don't need to be protected!"_ She knew this wasn't why her friend did what he did. He wasn't trying to make her feel guilty, he was just doing what he felt right. She could sense that she was about to say something she would regret, but there was no stopping now.

"_If you miss your bloody Dragon so much, why don't you go find him? You know what you are Ichigo, you're just a coward with abandonment issues and a deep need to protect others, all because you failed to protect your own si-"_

"_ERZA"_

The guild turned to look at the source of the interruption, only to see a glaring, seething Natsu and a deathly Gray. After a few moments of analysing the pair's expressions, Erza's actions finally registered with her. She realised what she was about to say - no, what she **had** said. She turned to her partner whom she had just unleashed hell upon, only to see his face pointed downwards, visibly containing his fury.

"_Ichigo… I didn't mean… you've got to unde-"_

"_No, Erza. Don't worry."_ The berated man's voice didn't harbor the hatred Erza thought she had seen, rather an understanding. And sadness. Just pure, raw sadness. _"You're right…"_ He stood up from his stool and started walking towards the double doors, finishing, just before he left, _"You're right. I think I needed to hear that. Thanks."_

The Knight watched uselessly as her Dragon left the guild hall, one hand limply outstretched as if she were trying to grab him and pull him back. She couldn't process what had just happened; no, she could, she just didn't want to. Titania had done the one thing she thought she'd never do. Erza Scarlet, of Fairy Tail, had just betrayed her closest nakama.

Natsu's rage only grew. He didn't dare concentrate on it though because he knew that, if he did, he wouldn't be able to forgive Erza. He would have ripped at her with all the might of the winged lizard, despite the difference in their power. Instead, he decided to follow Ichigo through the large doors, somehow hoping to pacify him.

* * *

The Salamander ran onto the cobble path leading away from Fairy Tail, calling the name of his fellow element eater. Out of everyone that bore the insignia, Natsu probably knew what Ichigo was going through the most; he too was abandoned by his Dragon-father at an early age. But he had to admit, from the stories the Shinigami had told him, Isshin wasn't much like Igneel; he seemed a lot more colder and brutal.

As Natsu ran along the path, he spotted the Strawberry figure he was looking for. By the looks of things, Ichigo had heard his calls and allowed his rose-haired friend to catch up to him. Natsu continued to close the gap before coming to a stop a few feet away from his destination.

The Darkness Dragon Slayer tilted his head slightly, silently inquiring why he had been chased down, even though he had a notion that he knew. The respective Fire Dragon Slayer managed to calm his thoughts enough to think of a logical plan. Knowing that his friend wasn't someone who openly talked about feelings, he needed to think of an excuse for him being here, quick.

"_Erm; yo, Ichigo! Things were getting a bit heated back there, right?"_

"_What is it Natsu?"_ The Shinigami, not wanting to draw the conversation out, decided to ignore the pun that had just been made.

"_Right! It's just… I need a hand with something. Yeah, that's it."_ It was a weak excuse, but it was the best the Salamander could have thought of at that moment in time.

Hard, brown eyes relaxed as Ichigo realised the course of action his friend was about to take. This was weird for him; he wasn't one to comfort. To save him from the discomfort, Ichigo beckoned Natsu towards him before messing up his pink tuft of hair.

"_Listen Natsu, I will always give you a hand; no matter what happens, that is a definite truth. And I appreciate you trying to help me out here, but really, I'm fine. When you really need help, Natsu, I promise I'll be there. Just not right now, okay?"_

With that, the Fairy King turned to walk away before a reply could be made, waving his hand in goodbye at his wide-eyed-brother-figure. Right now, he might have been hurt and confused, but there was one thing he knew for certain; he meant every word he had just said and it didn't just apply to Natsu. It applied to everyone in Fairy Tail. To everyone in his family, his hand would always be there.

A sole, pink-haired form stood in the middle of the cobble path, mouth slightly agape at what had just happened. He knew Ichigo had a way with words, but it never ceased to amaze him whenever he heard the black-clad mage spin his audial magic.

Natsu looked up at the feathery sky, now a mix of pink and orange due to the blazing sun. The view reminded the Dragon Slayer of memory, a cherished memory, one that helped changed his way of looking at the world.

"_Eat the Sun. Become stronger." _

* * *

"I WILL BECOME STRONGER THAN YOU, SUN!"

_A ten-year-old Natsu was standing twenty or so meters along the path that led out of Fairy Tail, pointing challengingly at the fiery mass that ruled over the lit sky. Ever since he had learned his magic, there wasn't a flame that Natsu couldn't eat or control, apart from the Sun that is. It angered the young child to a ferocious extent, despite the futility of his pique._

"FIGHT ME, MY RIVA-"

_Before the young, yet-to-be Salamander finished his challenge, he involuntarily made acquaintance with the cold, steel foot of Erza Scarlet, a disgruntled expression upon her visage. Salamander braced himself, waiting for the oncoming onslaught of discipline, both mental and physical._

"WHY ARE YOU MAKING SO MUCH NOISE?" _Erza bellowed at the floored boy, completely oblivious to the raised tone of her own voice. She wasn't actually angry at Natsu; she just wanted to discipline him because, well, someone had to. The boy had to learn that he couldn't just go around, screaming at the top of his lungs._

_It wasn't long until Ichigo caught up to his female partner, as she had bolted away from him to deal her metal redemption. He looked the the braced child on the floor in front of him, vocalising his curiosity as to why he was screaming._

"The Sun!" Natsu began, "It's always there, mocking me. I can't eat it, so it laughs in my face. I want to get stronger, so I can defeat it."

_Ichigo's eyes enlarged, followed by a small smirk as he narrowed them back again. He recognised this story; Isshin had once told it to him during a storm. It was about a Dragon with immense power, so much so that he challenged the Sun to a duel. The battle raged on, fire levelling everything in the vicinity, but the unnamed Dragon fought on. He never surrendered, eventually defeating the ruling ball of fire. However, his victory was short lived as he turned to face his fallen victor, only to see it missing, and in its place, a cold, dying Earthland. Feeling responsible for the events unfolding in front of him, the giant lizard gave the ultimate sacrifice, converting the rest of his soul into a flame to become the new Sun that watched over the sky. It was a nice story that embodying several morals, but that was all it was, a story; a Dragon's version of a Fairy Tale. Ichigo knew in his heart that Natsu didn't truly believe the story to be real, but there wouldn't be any harm in humouring him here, would there?_

"So you want to defeat the Sun, huh?" _Ichigo started, receiving a vigorous nod from the younger Dragon Slayer. _"Then stand up. You won't get anywhere if you just lie there, you need to get up. It's only when you stand up that you can become stronger. It's only when you pick yourself up that you can move forward. So Natsu," _the Shinigami offered his hand to one of the_

_youngest members of his family, _"Why are you still on the ground. Stand up; rise and walk with us in the light. Become stronger with us, with Fairy Tail."

The scarf-wearing child stared at the sword-wielding boy that had his arm outstretched, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and admiration. He never had a focus to his actions, he just wanted to destroy. But now here he was, with a choice. Natsu barely understood what the implications of the speech were, but before he could think, as if out of instinct, he reached out towards his fellow Dragon Slayer's hand. He had a reason now, he had a focus, and he was going to stand up.

* * *

Erza had left the guild not long after her younger, scarf-obsessed friend had, her mind swirling with regret and bursting emotions. She hated to admit it, but she was on the verge of crying. It wasn't she normally did; emotion wasn't normally her thing. But this was different, this was way different. She berated herself for saying too much, for letting her tongue loose the way she did. Scarlet knew she didn't mean a word of what she said, she was just furious at herself for letting her friend get injured so badly and just had to lash out. Even if it wasn't Ichigo's plan to do so, she still blamed herself for what happened. If she hadn't been so reckless, maybe they would have been able to avoid this situation altogether. No, not maybe, they most definitely would have been able to.

As her search led her to an opening in the outskirts of Magnolia forest, Titania found her bright-haired nakama sitting on a poorly made bench. She mentally reprimanded herself for not coming here sooner, of course Ichigo would be here. They had found this clearing less than a year after they became partners, both instantly deciding on making it their training ground. In order to make it more familiar, they had marked out a sparring arena and added a self-cleaning, magical pool of water to wash their faces with after their sessions. As the crème de la crème, they finally constructed their own bench with the Fairy Tail insignia on it. It was a shoddy creation, there was no doubt of that, but they had made it as children, so it was bound to be of poor quality. Whenever the pair thought of replacing the home-made bench, they would simply dismiss the idea, justifying themselves by saying that it was still working fine.

"_Hey, Ichigo…?" _Erza gently approached the Shinigami. 'Gently' wasn't really her normal style, but the situation at hand wasn't exactly normal either. She would have to ease gently into this conversation if she wanted it to go anywhere at all.

The man in question wearily turned to face the approaching woman, before shifting over to make enough space on the bench for her to sit on, a gesture that Erza did not pass up.

The silence was deafening. The only thing the ashamed woman could hear were the chirping of a few birds; and even though normally she would have enjoyed this setting, the situation was too tense. She realised that she had to break the silence, for her sake at least.

"_Look, Ichigo, I just wanted to say that I'm so-"_

"_Erza." _The voice that interrupted her bared no malice or hostility, rather, it was calm and logical. However, it still managed to cut through the redhead's prepared speech as if it were Vulcan butter.

"_I've been thinking, and I've decided that you were right." _Titania's brow furrowed in disorientation. _"You were right, I do have some unsolved issues. Things were left too open ended with Isshin and I need some closure, moreso than Natsu." _Ichigo let out a chopped sigh, almost as if what he was about to say next was going to hurt him more than anything imaginable. _"And that's why I've decided to leave Fairy Tail."_

Erza's whole body tensed and froze as her brown eyes started to shake slightly. She was in genuine shock. Out of all the people in Fairy Tail, Ichigo was the last person she expected to leave. He was the last person that she ever wanted to see leave. He was her friend, her closest friend, and she would be damned before she lost him forever. Sensing the outbreak of emotion sentiment that was about to spill out of his friend, the Shinigami decided to quickly continue.

"_Don't get me wrong! I don't mean forever, just for a little while; a year or two maybe? There are just some things that I need to do, things that I wont be able to do if I remain in Fairy Tail."_

Scarlet was about to interrupt him with a bombardment of reasons why he shouldn't leave, nearly all of them resulting in her profusely apologising and begging him not to leave. Needing to wrap the conversation up quickly, Ichigo decided to hammer the final nail into the coffin.

"_Erza, this isn't me asking you if I can leave or not. This is me telling you, before I tell the Master."_

At that, the woman's imminent hysteria died down, eyes levelling with her leaving partner's. In that instant, she saw the resolve in his normally brown eyes. They had a strange habit of adorning a faint tint of blue whenever he was dead-set on doing something. There was nothing she could say that would change his mind and she knew it, so she settled for backing down and standing up off of the memory-filled bench.

She made her way away from the Strawberry, painfully deciding on returning back home. She wasn't in the mood to return to the guild, the dejected looks that waited for her wasn't something that she wanted to currently deal with. Before she left the forest opening, Erza turned her head halfway towards Ichigo, allowing herself to get one more look at him before left.

"_I guess we won't see each other for some time then." _There was sadness in the voice, that much was evident. _"I'll look forward to when you return. Goodbye, Ichigo."_

The sat Dragon nodded solemnly as the redhead Queen turned her head back forward as she glided back to the city, her mind ripe with the events of the day. She wasn't ever going to forget the last few hours of her life, that much she was sure of. All she could do now was wait.

* * *

This was it, no going back now. Ichigo stood in front of the Fairy Tail Guild Master's office, steadying himself to knock. Once he walked through this door, there would be no going back. He would leave the guild to find his answers, and no matter how ready he felt he was, there was still a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. With a heavy sigh, the black-clad swordsman rapped on the mahogany door and entered as he was beckoned to do so.

* * *

"_You want to what now?"_ Makarov had heard exactly what his grandchild had just said, and quite frankly, he was expecting it. He knew what Ichigo was like; maybe this was best for the boy?

"_I want to leave Fairy Tail for a while, only for a year or so, so that I can find some answers." _He pulled at the v-neck collar of his shihakusho, revealing a black print of the Fairy Tail insignia, an image that he treasured as much as the guild itself. _"I understand that a non-Fairy Tail member can't wear the badge; I assume you have a way to remove it?"_

Makarov eyed the logo on the man's chest. It was true, he could remove it if he wanted to; Print magic was a simple one to manipulate. However, he decided to simply wave off the process.

"_Keep it. You're coming back someday, aren't you? Keep it for that day. Wear it on your journey and make Fairy Tail proud. Good luck, my child."_

For not the first time that day, Ichigo was taken back by stupefaction. To be able to keep the insignia mean that he was still regarded morally as a member of Fairy Tail. Even if he didn't return, he would always be considered a Child of Mavis. Accepting the act the kindness shown by the old man, the Shinigami turned to leave.

* * *

Ichigo turned to look back at the entrance of his home. He had spent over half his life there. He had made friends, he had made rivals, but most of all, he had made memories. No matter whatever happened in his live, no matter what path he followed, the memories were one of the things he'd never forget. That was a promise.

* * *

******TURN FORWARD THE CLOCK, BACK TO THE PRESENT.**  


The sobbing redhead continued to empty her tear ducts onto the Strawberry's neck. She couldn't believe that he had actually come home; sure he was only gone for a year, still a shorter time than Gildart's had, but he meant more to her than the Ace did. He was closer to her. He was her partner.

Ichigo kept his arms embracing his armour-attired comrade, a deep desire to interrupt her crying dwelling inside of him. He knew that if he let her continue, then they were both going to grow old on this spot. Parting his lips slightly, he let his words flow out.

"_You know, the armour's kinda cold."_

A familiar light spilled out of Erza's body, eventually disappearing and leaving her in a relatively short, red skirt, a black ladies shirt, and a thin, white tie. She buried her head even moreso into the nape of the orange-haired man's neck. Ichigo noticed the change in clothes his partner sported; it was different to the normal white, frilly, sleeveless top she usually wore, but it was aesthetically pleasant nonetheless.

The light wailing only continued for another few moments or so, halted by Erza pulling her head away, eyes still glistening from the tears and a small, yet passionate, smile.

"_Let's get you back home, Ichigo."_

The male teenager could help but grin. A year ago, he had promised himself that he would return stronger and with closure. Now, here he was, back home and with all the closure he needed. As he looked at the mostly destroyed, the most prominent thing remaining being a tattered banner of guild logo. It wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but it was his life, his home. This, was his Fairy Tail.

* * *

**So there we go! I tried to make this chapter as emotional as possible without overdoing it; did it show? Either way, typing this nearly killed me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless :D**

**Oh yeah, and thank you guys for the reviews, favorites and follows! I really wasn't expecting that many! I was aiming for ten favorites max by chapter five or something. To have so many right now truly amazes me.**

**Either way, thanks for reading Of Demons and Fairies, cya.**

**~Legiance.**


	5. The Beginning: Settling Back Home

**Guys. I AM SORRY! I literally have no excuse as to why I haven't updated in so long, so I'm just going to pin it down to procrastination. But today, I powered through and finished this for you; so hopefully it'll be worth the wait.**

**Just a note, there's some swearing in this chapter. The rating system says that the T rating is technically what would be suitable for a thirteen year old. Now, I'm pretty lenient with what's suitable for a such an age, so lets see if I can still keep this story T rated by the end. Still though, no lemon.**

**Oh yeah, and before I forget; I do not own either Bleach nor Fairy Tail. Shame really, I'd be swimming in money if I did.**

**So without further a due, Of Demons and Fairies Chapter Four.**

* * *

Even with the majority of their home building destroyed, Fairy Tail was still one of the loudest guilds in Fiore.

Although, that might have been due to the return of a certain orange-haired Shinigami.

Ichigo was in heaven, his smile covering the lower half of his face and his laugh permeating the basement; whether that be due to joy over his own return or the beer in his hand, nobody will know.

The moment the teen had walked into the basement, someone had shouted the word 'party,' causing the whole guild to spring into action despite the taxing tasks of the day. Fairy Tail had found a reason to celebrate.

And as every man, woman and child in the continent knew, there are no parties like a Fairy Tail party, for a Fairy Tail party does not stop. Early.

It was just past midnight when the guild's weariness caught up to them. Sometime during the night, someone had thrown an empty mug at Gray, causing him to subconsciously strip in anger, retaliate, (accidently?) hit Natsu and finally create the all-too-familiar brawl. To most, the array of aggression would have come across as barbaric; to Ichigo, it was oddly majestic. His common sense usually told him to stay out of the cluster of fists, fire and ice, but a part of him, the part that weirdly refers to the Shinigami as 'King,' urged him to partake. Now, how was Ichigo meant to refuse the voice in his head? He didn't, that's how.

The brawl had ended up in half of the basement being obliterated, a new level of chaos being reached due to the addition of the Strawberry's destructive magic. A knock to the head also resulted in an exhausted orange-head realising certain issues with his non-existent living arrangements.

_"CRAP!" _The exclamation startled several of the contempt combatants from their resting positions. _"I don't actually have anywhere to stay!"_

_"Whaddya talking about?" _Natsu's groggy voice joined his fellow Dragon Slayer's, _"You can just stay in one of the guild's spare rooms... oh wait." _The pink-haired teenager's suggestion trailed off at his realisation.

_"Maybe if I leave now, it'll be worth me getting a hotel room or something..."_

_"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" _The stern statement had come from Erza, who now held the eyes of the majority of the room. There was a weird, heavy feeling in the Darkness Dragon Slayer's stomach as he anticipated the redhead saying something embarrassing. _"Until you find a new apartment, you shall sleep with me!" _She continued.

There it was; Erza's signature awkwardness. Ichigo's eyes drooped as he heard her statement as a _normal_ person would.

_"Come on now; you're just fuelling the Mira Matchmaking Machine now, aren't you?" _His tone was quiet, but was still heard by the majority, including Erza. Realising her fault, the blushing knight corrected herself, rewording her statement to clearly mean 'to share a room.' That, however, still didn't stop Fairy Tail from exploding with laughter.

Even though the redhead lived in the all-girls dorm, Fairy Hills, Ichigo had stayed over before with nobody minding. It turns out, if you try to teach a pre-teen Fire Dragon Slayer how to cook in your own apartment, he's going to explode it. All of it.

A grin spread along the Shinigami's face as he accepted his partner's offer/demand.

_"Fine Erza, you're on. But I get dibbs on the shower."_

_"Impossible. Remember? I called eternal dibbs when I started renting the place out." _Erza deadpanned. Her answer was quick and to-the-point, causing Ichigo to reluctantly lower his head in defeat; it was true, she did.

Erza - One, Ichigo - Nill.

* * *

_Ichigo loved Erza, that much he knew. He loved her in the sense that she was his best friend, his closest nakama; he knew that he would delve into the deepest depths of hell for her sake. But there was one thing that he would not do. Just one thing that pushed against and tore through the boundary that is his care for her._

_Shopping._

_And yet here he was, shopping with his partner. But this was no ordinary shopping trip, well, unless you consider looking for an apartment 'shopping.'_

_The thirteen-year-old boy had just returned from his first S-Class mission since becoming a S-Class mage. As per Fairy Tail tradition, the first mission a mage does after passing the prestigious promotion test had to be a solo effort, meaning Ichigo still held what he considered to be Erza's share, a sum of money just shy of a million jewels._

_And so, the young teen had offered to pay his partner's deposit and rent for a new apartment in Fairy Hills, until she started coming on high-ranked missions with him and was able to do so herself. Due to her saving for a place at the dorms for a while already, Erza jumped at the offer, profusely thanking her orange-haired friend._

_The young knight called for her partner, wanting to share the experience that is buying a new apartment with him._

"Ichigo! Look at the bathroom! **The toilet talks**!" _The beckoned individual strode over, hands in pockets, eventually peering over the white structure as the redhead pushed a button._

_It was true. The toilet talked._

_What Ichigo didn't expect was the aggressive, heavily accented male voice that it spoke in. He turned to the girl next to him, a single, raised eyebrow asking an unspoken question. The female in question shook her head in understanding._

"Don't worry, it has different settings. That one was called 'the Terminator.'" _The grin that adorned Erza's face was wide and comical, mimicking something out of a manga or anime (Fairy Tail Chapter 341, page 8 to be exact, according to Manga Panda). _"There's about 150 different voices to choose from. They even have Masakazu Morita."

_Not knowing the person in question but noticing the glint in his friend's eyes, Ichigo decided to act as if he were aware of the mentioned celebrity. If he didn't, he knew he would later receive a lengthy and passionate speech on the importance of Morita._

"So are you going to take it then?" _Ichigo's normally calm voice held a hint of hopeful anticipation. If Erza decided on this apartment, that meant no more shopping; he could go home and sprawl on the king-sized bed in his own._

"Hmm, I don't know. The room next door has a larger wardrobe area, but this room has a talking toilet; the room two doors down is slightly larger, but then again, talking toilet; the room opposite already has a jacuzzi, but the toilet..." _The redhead naturally fell into her thinking position, with a finger curled over her chin and the other hand holding the respective elbow. _

_The Strawberry held his breath in anticipation as he awaited her answer, his desire to go home fuelling the tingling sensation in his stomach. As his noticed his partners mouth widen for the final verdict, so did his eyes._

"I'll take it." _The satisfied expression on the girl's face was only mirrored by her partner, who arguably felt as relieved as she was delighted. Noticing this and jumping to a few conclusions, Erza decided to lay down some ground rules._

"Okay, some ground rules Ichigo." _The boy's focus returned as he honed back in onto the early teen's voice. _"Number one: Whenever you come round, do **NOT **go into the bottom drawer. That's going to be the my lady drawer."_ The redhead's voice rose in pitch and became more dignified towards the end of her sentence, almost as if that was her way of adding importance to the rule._ "Number two: always knock first. I'm a lady." _Ichigo noticed that,_ _yet again, her pitch rose_. "And number three: I call eternal dibbs on the shower... and the bath... and the talking toilet."

"You can't call eternal dibbs! It's against the rules!" _The young Shinigami vocalised his objection in mock shock. He didn't really care much; Fairy Hills was a female only establishment, so there probably weren't going to be many times in which he would urgently need to use her shower first. The only time he would ever need to stay over would be if his house were to explode, and what were the chances of that happening, right?_

"My apartment, my rules." _Was the nonchalant quip. It seemed as if Erza had suddenly forgotten that, at that current moment in time, Ichigo was technically paying for her new accommodation._

_Ichigo closed his eyes, sighed, and smirked at her quick retort before turning around in order to find the old caretaker and inform her of the redhead's decision. Not long later, the girl followed happily followed suit._

* * *

There was no doubt in the orange-haired teen's mind, showers were the work of a God; the Deity's last gift to the human race. If there was ever any need to prove the existence of a Divine Creator, showers would be Ichigo's answer.

The Shinigami soaked himself in Erza's shower, letting the water wash away the stress and exhaustion of the day. He leaned forward and placed an outstretched hand on one of the walls to balance himself, letting the liquid cascade down his back one final time before stepping out and wrapping a towel around his waist, using another to dry his hair. Once dry, he stepped in front of a mirror the knight had in her bathroom, wiping the steam so he could see the reflection of his torso at least. As soon as he stepped back from the mirror, Ichigo's eyes narrowed in, focusing on the long scar that stretched diagonally across his chest, narrowly missing his precious Fairy Tail insignia. It was the one he received before he left. The one given to him by one of the demons he and Erza had slain. Truth be told, it was actually partly the reason he had left, for it had made him aware of something inside of him.

He had seen the scar countless times over the last year, but that still didn't stop him from running his finger along the length of it nearly everytime. It was only after receiving the gash that he started noticing _**Him.**_

* * *

_Light filled Ichigo's eyes as he opened them, blinding him for a few moments. After the perversion of his eyes had settled, he made to force his body into an upright position, only to be met with a searing pain across his torso, one that caused his muscles to spasm and prevent him from lying back down. It was only when the familiar hand of Pōryushika-san guided him back that he was able to relax. He looked up in order to face the older woman, only to be met with a stern gaze. Upon further inspection Ichigo noticed a slight flash of fear upon her visage. It wasn't long before she handed him a bubbling drink, a deep purple in colour and ordered him to drink it._

"Make sure to down it all in one go. The pain won't subside unless you do."

_Ichigo gagged as the medicinal beverage violated his mouth; the taste reminded him of something worse than feces mixed with mud as the violent fizzing burned all of his tastebuds. In other words, this was just like Natsu's cooking. However, true to her word, Pōryushika's concoction did relieve the teen of his condition, reducing the searing pain to something less than a light simmer._

"Tell me, what was that?" _The Shinigami turned to see his doctor still staring intently at him. Confusion soon plastered his face. _"The healing, boy, I'm talking about the healing. Just an hour ago, when I was healing you, a viscous white liquid poured out of your wound and healed it. Tell me, what kind of magic was that? Is it some special Dragon Slayer technique?"

_The patients eyes widened in realisation; this had happened to him before during certain fights. The healing wasn't usually this strong though; it only helped with little cuts and wounds, so Ichigo just shrugged it off, lumping it with the array of other passive abilities he had gained through use of his adoptive fathers magic._

"I don't know." _His reply was short and true. Technically, he didn't know what the source of his healing ability was for certain._

_A few moments passed before Pōryushika's eyes softened from her intense stare-down. Despite her let-up, however, she still wanted answers._

"Boy, your mouth tells me one thing, yet your eyes tells me another; and if all my years have taught me one thing, it's that the eyes always tell the truth. Now, again, what was that?"

_Ichigo's brow furrowed. How could he have thought that he could get away with anything but the absolute truth. The woman standing before him was as old as Gramps, and, like him, she could see right through the late teens facade. He opened his mouth, this time allowing the truth to flow out freely._

"I... don't know." _Pōryushika looked into his eyes, this time removing the rest his face from her mental vision altogether. His brown eyes stared back into hers, showing no sign of secrecy. She closed her own; the man was telling the truth. Turning around, the hermit-lady busied herself with her ointments, telling her patient to get some more rest._

_Despite the confrontation, the pink-haired woman still felt as if there was more to the situation. When the healing began, she was in the room preparing more medicine for later use. It was then that she felt the magical power coming from the teenager on the table increase to jaw-dropping levels. When he came to her, he was nearing death's door with next to no magical presence. Yet, right then, the power he exuded was extraordinary, easily comparable to one of the stronger wizard saints. Hell, she wasn't even sure if Makarov had a comparable capacity or not._

_But that wasn't the worst of it. The magical aura that was felt was definitely not the same as her patient's. Sure, there were distinct similarities, but this power felt different; the best way to describe it was evil. Not evil in the sense that it wants to take over the world, but evil in the sense that it wanted to kill; it wanted to fight, cut and destroy everything in its path, threat or no threat. Maybe evil wasn't the right word, maybe mad was. Absolutely psychotic. The woman considered herself lucky that the magical outburst only lasted a dozen seconds or so; any longer and she wasn't sure that she'd still be able to stand. The aura didn't just pulse fear through her, but it also felt as if it were strangling her, possibly through instinct. When it relieved its grasp, her senses and muscles started to spasm as blood started rushing through her body again._

_Looking back at the resting male, there was one thing that Pōryushika knew for sure. That holder of that magic, was that that was not Ichigo._

* * *

_"Erza, I think I'm in love with your shower."_ Ichigo strolled out of the bathroom in his sleeping attire, which just consisted of a pair of black boxers. He had abandoned his two towels in the washing basket, instead drying his hair using the heat of his Darkness magic.

_"That's fine. Just try not to violate her too much. You're paying for therapy if you do."_ Erza didn't look up from the novel she was reading, _The Chronicles of Pyrrha: The Dragon, The Mage, and The Wardrobe. _It was topping the charts in Magnolia and the surrounding area; there were even rumours of a film adaptation coming soon.

_"Sorry ma'am, I can't promise that. I'm also thinking about proposing." _Ichigo decided to go along with the game his roommate had concocted; he was glad he did as it earned him a famous 'Erza simper.'

Taking off her red reading glasses, the redhead placed it, along with her book, on the bedside table. Ichigo noticed that she was wearing her usual, slightly-frilly-at-the-edges, silk nightgown that reached a third of the way down her thigh. The woman had an obsession with frills, there was no doubt about that.

Retiring himself to sleep, the Strawberry reached for his bag, placed it at the head of the couch nearest to the bed and started fluffing it, akin to how one would fluff a pillow. The action caused the owner of the room to cough in question. He wasn't planning on sleeping on the couch, was he?

_"What are you doing?"_ The line was sharp and had an inquisitive tone to it, making Ichigo question if it were a statement or question. He looked towards the redhead on the bed, pointing with his head towards the sofa, non-verbally answering her.

_"Why?" _This time, confusion really was pulsing through Erza. _"We always used to share a bed when on missions before? That's why I said you'll be sleeping with me."_ It was true. As kids, during some missions, renting two hotel rooms would seriously cut into their profits; so, in order to combat this, they decided to share rooms to cut down costs. Later, when the rewards increased, they had just gotten into a habit of sharing rooms, and hence, beds. In short, they had broken the 'sleeping together' barrier years ago.

Using this reasoning, Ichigo shrugged off the doubts he held and delved under the quilts, the warm blanket stopping near the base of his torso. He had figured that, after a year, Erza wouldn't be comfortable sharing a bed; but apparently that wasn't the case. Either that or she was a masochist who enjoyed putting others in embarrassing situations, even if she got caught in the crossfire herself.

Ichigo turned his body over, letting one forearm rest under his pillow and the palm of the other rest face-down on the mattress, an action that his bedmate mimicked.

"_Thanks, again, for letting me stay here Erza. I'll make sure to find an apartment quickly."_

"_Eh, what are friends for? And stay here for as long as you'd like. Let's see if you can break your previous record." _The frilly-dressed mage's words had a yawn hidden within it, indicating to Ichigo her exhaustion. To be entirely honest, he didn't blame her; a lot had happened that day. Shaking his head, Ichigo voiced his objection.

"_Nah; it's not safe here. The longer I stay, the more unbearable Mira's teasing will get. I swear, that woman feeds off of my embarrassment." _The Strawberry chuckled at his own remark, earning a similar, tired giggle from the woman opposite him.

"_Well then, she's in for a real feast tonight." _Erza nodded towards the door, causing her friend to turn his attention to it. As if on cue, the door opened, only to reveal the nightgown-clad figure of the mage in question. It wasn't long before her up-beat greeting turned into a small scream as she opened her eyes and soon after, ran back through the door, apologising profusely.

Ichigo groaned and rolled over, realising how the situation must have looked to the bartender, his mind heavily anticipating the next few hours of consoling he would have to give her.

"_I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, am I?"_ The question only received a shake of the head from the redhead, who didn't even open her closed eyes as she did so. With one final groan, the male teen forced himself out of the luscious bed, instantly bolting out of the door and after Mirajane.

Meanwhile, Erza just let out a small sigh, accompanied by a satisfied grin. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for Ichigo to chase the blue-eyed goddess in only his boxers.

* * *

If showers were the work of a God, then alarms were the creation of the devil.

Two brown eyes slowly opened, allowing the surrounding light in the room to enter and blind their owner. With a low moan, the boxer-robed Dragon Slayer rolled over, face first into his pillow.

"_You know, the quicker you get out of bed, the sooner you can get in the shower." _The beauty had just walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body and another drying her hair. She strode over to the alarm, hovered it a few centimeters over Ichigo's head and then turned it off. It was enough to secure a response from her victim.

"_Tell her I'm having an affair. I'm marrying the bed now."_ The reply was muffled by the pillow, which currently had a face pressed close to it. Erza chuckled; even after the last year, Ichigo hadn't changed, sarcasm included.

"_Sorry, no can do. I'm already engaged to it and I'm sure as hell not sharing." _The retort was enough to wrench the orange-haired individual out of his magical land of comfort. He new that his roommate could and would persist with her remarks. He also knew that he would not be able to help himself from replying; he cherished the conversational banter the Knight and he had.

Erza watched as the man occupying her bed clumsily rolled out and, almost drunkenly, strode towards the ensuite, all the while mumbling something along the lines of 'an affair working both ways.' She couldn't help but grin widely; Mirajane must have kept him up for a good few hours last night.

* * *

It wasn't long before the pair of black and red walked up to the reconstruction site of the guild. It seemed that Master Makarov had used his Titan Mode to clear most the debris of the old building and built some outlines for the new one.

Peering over the small man's shoulder, which wasn't necessarily difficult due to the the height difference, Ichigo looked at the sheet in his hand, which turned out to be a blueprint. It was intricate and detailed, showing what seemed to be the perfect plan to a perfect home, with the top floor not being restricted to S-Class mages only.

Looking around, the mage noticed a majority of the guild members already working away at the construction site. A pang of guilt shot through him as he berated himself for not coming sooner to help; however, his personal guilt trip was soon cut short when a familiar, grandfatherly voice spoke to him.

"_Oh hello Ichigo. I didn't see you there. Well actually I did, I saw your shadow. Would you like to start helping with the construction boy?" _Before the mage in question could reply, he found himself being force-handed the blueprint, its previous owner shouting something about him being in charge. Staring at the sheet in front of him, he noticed a familiar female stride towards him.

"_Well then, you're in charge. Give some orders out."_ Ichigo's muddled expression soon changed into a devilish grin as he realised the implications of the Master's actions. He was in charge, so it was time to shout some orders.

"_Alright then! Natsu! What's with that weak-ass lump of wood you're carrying? Gray could lift more lumber than you! Gray! Natsu's about to outdo you. Get to it. Elfman! A real man would work twice as hard as you are! Cana! Hurry up or I'm calling in the alcohol money you owe me. Loki! Get your ass in gear and I promise I'll be your wingman next time you ask."_

It appeared as if nothing had changed in the last year as all of the Strawberry's attempts at manipulation had succeeded. The mentioned people had almost doubled in their efforts, Cana especially. Meanwhile, in the corner, a wondering Lucy shuddered, imagining how much the card mage must have owed Ichigo.

Fairy Tail worked through the day and into the evening. At some point, Makarov had returned, taking back management responsibility from Ichigo. So intent on creating a new home were the guild members, that they didn't notice a tall, muscular, blond figure seat himself in the middle of the construction. It wasn't until he rose his voice that attention turned onto him.

"_Yo, you guys seem to be having fun. You know, licking your own wounds."_ The booming voice was unmistakable. There was only one person in the guild who could produce such a powerful, yet snide, sound.

Laxus.

A swarm of hateful eyes turned towards the lightning mage. They all remembered how he had refused to help Fairy Tail in their time of need. How he refused to help defend its newest member, unless she offered him his own, personal, reward.

"_Why the dirty looks? You called and I'm here aren't I? It's not my fault you guys are too weak to protect the building without me." _The sarcasm in the man's voice was evident. He looked down on them and they knew it.

"_You know, Shithead, you'd be a lot more likeable if you weren't such a shithead." _Ichigo simply flapped his hand in suggestion, aimed at aggravating the man he was facing. It worked.

"_What did you say, ya robe-wearing gimp?" _Laxus rose from his seat, fists clenched, his facial expression obviously annoyed. The Shinigami he was facing adopted a similar position.

"_It's not a robe, its a shihakushō, Scarface."_

"_I swear to Mavis, I'll give you a scar one day, ya shitty Bumblebee."_

"_I keep on telling you, that doesn't even make sense! Bumblebees are black and yellow, not black and orange. Learn to make an insult,ya headphone-wielding overcoat wanker." _By now, the two were face-to-face, stringing insults at each other whilst in on of their famous headlocks, their magic flared. These battle-of-insults were a lot like the ones between Gray and Natsu, only more intense. Once, one of these arguments resulted in what is now known as 'The IceDemonFireLionApplejuiceFromConcentrate Incident,' but that's a different story altogether.

"_Yeah, well, your sword's too big. Compensating much, Buttface?"_

"_Whaddya talking about? My sword's at a regular length; and I don't need to compensate for shit, ya two-inch Lightningbreath."_ Laxus' eyes widened for a fraction of a second as he backed away, amused by the irony of the teen's statement, before returning to his usual composure. Walking past Ichigo, he allowed a sly grin to adorn his face before saying goodbye.

"_Oh, just you wait, Ichigo. Either way, I heard you came back, so I left my Raijinshū back at Karakura town. I'll be making my way back, so cya, Shitface."_

Staring at the back of the now leaving Laxus, Ichigo stood, dumbfounded, his mouth slightly agape. Even if he were to use his immense speed, it would have taken Ichigo just over two days to cover the distance from Karakura town to Magnolia. Considering that Laxus managed to reach Fairy Tail in just under that time period meant that either his speed now surpassed the Shinigami's greatly, or that he rushed back to the guild as soon as Mira destroyed the communication lacrima.

Mouth still agape, Ichigo turned his head to face the Master, only to receive the same look of confusion and shock on his face, tinged with the extra addition of pride. Turning away from the inwardly-beaming Grandfather, Ichigo looked down and grabbed a lock of his own hair, sighing deeply as a ghost of a smile forced itself onto his expression.

"_Geez. Look's like there's still hope for you, isn't there, Laxus?"_

* * *

**So there we go guys; that was chapter four. So not much actually happened in this chapter, but this was really just meant to be a filler of sorts, instead of jumping ahead with the Tower of Heaven arc. That's going to be a field trip to rework, geez. **

**Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I still can't believe how popular this little project has become! It's on either the second or third page for favourites already! I'll try to get another out ASAP, due to this one being so late, but I'm not promising anything.****  
**

**#Procrastination.**

**~Legiance**


	6. The Beginning: Celestial Instinct

**That's the second chapter in a row that I'm late… I need to get my act together. So yeah, here comes the fifth chapter in the amazing tale formally known as Of Demons and Fairies… or ODAF as it's otherwise shown on my desktop.**

**And just a heads up, there's a tiny bit of weak swearing here. But it's all good, amiright?**

**I don't own Fairy Tail or Bleach. I would have already retired to my holiday island in the Caribbean if I did.**

'_**Of Demons and Fairies.' **_- Hollow Ichigo (Hichigo) talking in Ichigo's mind.

* * *

It had been a week since Ichigo had returned to Fairy Tail. A week since the attack of Phantom Lord. Yet, in that time, Lucy still hadn't spoken to the man. It wasn't that she didn't want to, she definitely did; it was just that she was somewhat scared of him. She knew she had no reason to be; Natsu had spent hours telling her the fantastical tales of the Shinigami. However, the Celestial mage also knew that Ichigo was one of the strongest members of the guild, so she couldn't help but compare him to Laxus. Did he blame her for the destruction of his home? Did he spend the last week avoiding her because she made him angry? Lucy shuddered at the idea of making an enemy of him, silently cursing her awkwardness.

Happy looked up from his half eaten fish, his large eyes making contact with Lucy's distant ones.

"_Lucy, why are you staring at me? Are you being weird again?"_ His voice harboured genuine concern. Even for the blonde, she was acting strange.

The seventeen-year-old in question snapped out of her reverie, her mind and annoyance focusing on the little, blue, talking cat in front of her. The ball of fur seemed to take every and any chance he could come across to insult her, knowing that he would most likely get away with it due to him technically being a child and 'not knowing any better.'

"_Nothing, Happy. I was just thinking." _Lucy let out a sigh, resigning herself to taking in the insult the cat had thrown at her. It seemed to her as if the feline noticed this, as he instantly asked if thinking hurt her brain.

"_Happy, play nice."_ The voice of Mirajane interrupted the banter between girl and cat as she exited the kitchen behind the bar, wiping her hands on a towel as she did so. The guild had been mostly rebuilt; well, the kitchen and bar anyway. It seemed as if, in terms of priority, jobs came behind food and alcohol. _"So Lucy, what were you thinking about? Is it boys?!"_

"_Erm, kinda?" _The Princess sweatdropped slightly as she watched the excited bartender bounce from joy. Lucy realised that she had to play her cards right when explaining her situation to Mirajane. If she didn't, there was a slight possibility that she would end up on a surprise date with Ichigo. _"Don't get me wrong, it's not a romantic issue; it's Ichigo. Since he's come back, he hasn't said a word to me. I know we don't know each other that well, I mean, I think he knows my name, but a hello would be nice."_

Mirajane's euphoria soon died down after the girl's explanation, instead adopting a frown.

"_Lucy. That's not fair. Have you seen how busy Ichigo has been since he got back? People haven't stopped fussing over him! Whenever he's here, he's swamped. I'm sure once Strawberry gets some free time, he'll say hi."_

"_Yeah; and maybe he'll buy you a drink and a ring. I'm sure he likes blondes." _Cana added to the conversation, causing the Celestial mage to shriek in shock. As far as she, and probably the rest of the guild, was concerned, Cana was an innuendo panther, sneaking up behind you and then harassing you with a euphemism. _"Next time you see him, just say hi. He doesn't bite; well, unless that's what you want. But I think Erza might have something to say about that."_

For the second time that sitting, Lucy sweatdropped, her face slightly flushed.

"_I'll make sure to talk to him. But did you have to put that image in my head?" _The resident alcoholic raised her mug to her lips before solemnly nodding and replying in a sultry tone.

"_Mhmm. Boom. Panthered."_

* * *

If anybody was present and had looked in the general direction of the bar, they would have thought that Lucy was trying to glare down a certain orange-haired teen.

After the previous day's conversation, the blonde had made it her personal mission to introduce herself to Ichigo. She promised that she would grab any opportunity possible to say hello, and somehow, one presented itself to her.

Lucy watched as the Shinigami sat at a table alone, eating a slice of freshly made chocolate cake. The two of them must have been the only ones taking a break from repairing the building, as the rest of the mess hall was empty; even the bartender wasn't at her usual post. With a fresh, deep intake of air, Lucy rose from her stool and made her way over to the Strawberry, intending on making a good first impression.

And as we all know, good first impressions always begin awkwardly.

"_Um, sorry to interrupt, but I don't believe we've actually met yet."_

Ichigo turned his head slightly to look up at the maladroit blonde, eyes making the rest of the distance, his spoon still in his mouth.

"_Lucy Heartfilia, isn't it? Natsu's partner?" _The firm voice of her recognition caused Lucy to straighten up and nod vigorously. The tone provoked her to rethink whether introducing herself was a good idea or not. It wasn't until she heard him continue that she allowed herself to relax.

"_Well then, take a seat! Sorry about the harshness, it was meant to be a joke." _Lucy looked down to see Ichigo with his eyes closed and a slightly crooked grin on his face, reminding her of another Dragon Slayer she knew.

Following his request, the ex-Heiress sat herself on the opposite end of the table, resting her elbows on the hardwood and propping her head up using the back of her interlocked fingers.

_"I've been meaning to introduce myself to you all week," Lucy began, "But you always seemed so busy."_

_"Yeah, I haven't had much time to myself since I got back. Not that I'm complaining; I've had enough time with my own thoughts in the last year."_

_"Mhm. Where'd you go exactly?"_

_"Places." _It was obvious to the girl that Ichigo didn't want to go into detail. Her observation was only solidified by the sly wink she received. Cana was right; he didn't bite. It wasn't long before the Celestial mage regretted her chain of thoughts, however, as the suggestive image she had the day before flooded her memories, causing her to yet again blush.

_"Lucy, are you alright?" _The concern in the black-clad teens voice was evident and, as far as Blonde could tell, genuine.

_"I'm fine. It looks like Cana was right though, you don't bite."_

_"Unless that's what you want."_ The newest member of team Natsu jerked back as she took in the forwardness of the Dragon Slayer in front of her. Maybe it was due to her non-flirtatious conversations with Natsu, but to hear such a 'tacky' line from one of the strongest mages in Fairy Tail truly disorientated her.

Sensing the reaction from the woman seated at his table, the Strawberry realised that he might have missed some important details out of his joke.

_"No, no! I meant that's what Cana would have said. I don't think I made that clear." _In an attempt to save face, Ichigo raised his hands in surrender. One of the first things that he had heard after his return was of the newbie who had defeated twenty Vulcans with a single finger. If this was said newbie, then she was definitely not someone he wanted to start a fight with.

_**'Smooth, King. Please bestow upon me your wisdom.'**_

_'Bite me.'_

_**'Sorry. I'm not into that kinda stuff, y'know?'**_

Letting the explanation sink in, the blonde let out a giggling sigh. When she thought about it, this was no different to Natsu's unintentional euphemisms. The similarities between her partner and the man sitting in front her made her wonder if obliviousness to such things was a signature Dragon Slayer trait.

Out of habit, Lucy glanced at her wristwatch, checking the time. Noticing the lateness of the hour, she raised and excused herself, justifying that she needed to do some grocery shopping before the farmer's market closed.

_"You know, I still kinda feel bad for that joke I made earlier. How about you let me help carry your shopping at least."_ Despite his repentant offer, Ichigo had other motives for helping out the girl. There was something about Lucy that seemed off to the Strawberry; he couldn't quite put a finger on it, but he felt as if there was something she was hiding.

Not wanting to refuse her newfound friend so early on in their relationship, as well as enjoying his company, the blonde accepted his offer, playfully joking that he might not be strong enough.

And with that, the pair of Black and Yellow made their way across the nearly-finished hall and out the large, double doors.

* * *

_"You know, your constant magic output isn't very impressive."_

_"What're you trying to imply?" _Lucy nonchalantly quipped at the half-insult she had just received, whilst adding another hand-picked tomato to a brown bag.

_"I mean that you don't seem to be used to expelling constant streams of high energy magic." _Ichigo took a second to re-evaluate the power level of the blondes constant magical outflow, before come to a conclusion. _"Are you a holder-type mage?"_

Lucy turned on her heel and handed her orange-haired friend the brown bag, nodding as she did so.

_"Yup. I'm a kickass Celestial mage." _She proceeded to punch the air in front of her, creating a fighting pose. It wasn't after she released her posture that she noticed the Shinigami staring at her inquisitively.

_"Wait, so you're a Celestial mage and your last name is Heartfilia."_ He took a few seconds, choosing to select his next few words carefully. _"Would it be safe to say that your mother's name was Layla Heartfilia?"_

Lucy's eyes widened as she noticed the use of her mother's name. Before Phantom Lord, whenever she mentioned her last name in Fairy Tail, nobody made the connection between her and her old family. Yet Ichigo managed to make the link almost instantly.

_"Yes! Did you know her?"_ The ex-heiress' did little to suppress her excitement.

Ichigo somberly shook his head, explaining that he had only heard of her, which wasn't that surprising after all, as she was a well-known mage.

For Lucy, that was the end of her inquisitiveness. For a certain Shinigami, however, it was far from over. The truth of the matter was that, he had heard of Layla Heartfilia from Them, and it wasn't simply due to her being a renowned mage.

It wasn't long before the pair had finished their farmer's market expedition, both returning to the Celestial mage's humble abode.

* * *

_"...so I don't know. I feel like I should say something to him. Otherwise, something like this is bound to happen again. He just doesn't know when to stop, y'know?" _Even while speaking, Lucy couldn't help but berate herself, questioning why she was talking about such personal things to a man she had only started conversing with that day.

_"Personally, I think closure is important, Lucy. If confronting your Dad will give you that, then I say go ahead. Just make sure to be careful."_

_"Mhm, I will. Thanks." _The pair had reached the girl's apartment, where she turned to face the Carrot-top. _"Thanks Ichigo. Y'know, you're nice to talk to. I still feel kinda weird around you, but I can see why everybody likes you."_

_"Wierd?"_ To most, it would have seemed as if the man was fixating on the negative; yet, this was far from the case. If Lucy truly was a Celestial mage and the daughter of Layla Heartfilia, then this _'weird' _feeling might be important.

_"I don't know."_ The woman was slightly taken aback, wondering if she had so easily insulted him._ "It's not as if I'm not comfortable around you. It's just that, at times during our walk, I would get this little pang of fear; not much, but it'll be there. Actually, it's more like, every so often, I would get the urge to run. It only happened a couple of times though."_

Ichigo let his eyes stare into the blonde's similar chocolate pair before resting the grocery bag on the solid earth below and turning away slightly. With an chopped, exasperated sigh, he continued with a variation of the speech he had heard countless times in his unconscious state.

_"Lucy, what's the difference between a king and his horse? I don't mean kiddy crap like 'one's a person and one's an animal' or 'one has two legs and one has four.' If their form, ability and power were exactly the same, why is it that one becomes the king and controls the battle, while the other becomes the horse and carries the king?! There's only one answer. Instinct! When all else fails, instinct guides us. Instinct doesn't lie to us. Instinct protects us, which is why you always listen to it. When instinct tells you to strike, you strike. When instinct tells you to block, you block. When instinct tells you to fear..." _Ichigo turned to face the Celestial mage head on.

_"...you fear."_

_"What are you trying to say...?"_ At this point, a slight fearful quiver made its way through to the blonde's voice. The speech she had just heard was quite possibly the most violently poetic thing she had ever experienced. It uplifted and enlightened her, yet at the same time, it sent chilling shivers through her body. It made her euphorically warm, yet unpassionately cold.

_"What I'm trying to say is that, if any part of you uncontrollably fears me, Lucy, then don't trust me. If your instinct tells you to run away from me, then do so. Or kill me, the choice is yours."_

Lucy couldn't help but stare at into the Strawberry's deep, brown eyes. For the first time that day, she realised how weary they were. Even if his face didn't show it, his eyes did. They showed age beyond his own. They portrayed a painting of his own hell.

_"I don't care."_ The blonde woman faltered, but then soon corrected herself. This was going to be her answer; she would stick with this. _"To hell with instinct. You're a member of Fairy Tail, therefore you're my nakama. If my instincts tell me to reject a comrade, then I don't need them. I'll use my head, my heart, my soul, but if my instincts tell me not to trust in those I care for, then I don't care for my instincts. I'll only listen to them if they'll help protect my family."_

This time, it was Ichigo's turn to be taken aback. This girl had rejected the core essence of humanity, just because it insulted her morals. His lips tugged at the corners to form a proud, crooked smile.

_"Spoken like a true member of Fairy Tail." _The Shinigami turned around, waving, making his way back to Fairy Hills. _"Cya tomorrow Lucy. This was fun."_

Meanwhile, Lucy's heart continued to pound. She hadn't realised it at the time, but she had poured all of her energy into her reply. The words that came out of her mouth didn't feel normal to her; it was as if they held a great truth. Despite her confusion, however, there was one thing she knew for certain...

...introducing herself to Ichigo Kurosaki, was definitely the right choice.

* * *

A part of Ichigo regretted having that conversation with the Celestial Spirit mage. It was partly due to the confusion he had made her suffer; however, undeniably, the worst component was the constant teasing from a certain entity inside him.

'_**That speech was beautiful, King.'**_ The demon resting inside of the Strawberry teased, continuing in mock-emotion. _**'It made me tear up a little. You really do listen! Sure, it lacked a bit of bloodlust and killing, but still, I'm so proud'**_

The continuous, one-sided banter started to irk Ichigo, slowly chipping away at his patience. Originally, his views on instinct belonged to the white being inside his soul; yet, over the course of the last year, the Carrot-top had started to believe it to be true. In retrospect, there had been battles in the past where he had moved without thinking, almost as if his body knew what to do. Be that as it may, today he had met a girl who completely rejected that. She rejected instinct within seconds, even after having it explained to her. It made the teen wonder how long she would survive in this world.

'_**Oi, bastard; pay attention to me when I'm taking the piss.'**_ Despite being the provoker, the demon was starting to become aggravated at the lack of response he was receiving.

'_Shut up Shiro. Don't make me come in there and kick your arse.''_

'_**Go on. I dare you.'**_The newly identified Shiro continued to provoke, metaphorically drooling at the thought of battle.

Shaking his head, Ichigo cleared his head of the futile conversation. He had no desire to fight Shiro for a while now; even though he was a part of him, for the most part, the demon was absolutely nuts.

No; for now, Ichigo just wanted to rest.

* * *

"_So, how'd your conversation with Lucy go?" _The Shinigami had just closed the door behind him before Erza struck with her question. Despite her inquiry, she still didn't move her eyes, which were fixated on the living room television.

"_How'd you kno- oh wait. Mira."_ The redhead didn't turn her attention away from the screen in front of her, only releasing a small hum as confirmation to the realisation.

"_What did you think of her?"_The question was nonchalant, almost as if the Knight didn't care.

"_I like her. I can see why Natsu chose her; she seems like she'd be a good teammate."_ Without hesitation, Erza jumped from the cream sofa she was seated on, immediately staring down Ichigo with sparkling, childlike eyes.

"_Right? RIGHT? She's really nice, right? Ah, I knew you'd like her! She's smart, pretty, has pink underwear-"_

"_Woah; too much information there Erza." _The shihakusō-wearing teen raised his arms in protest. The colour of his new friend's undergarments were none of his concern. Yet, that didn't stop a delighted Shiro whisper something along the lines of 'called it,' in the back of his mind.

Ichigo could tell that Lucy was someone important to Erza. The way his partner's eyes sparkled when talking about her revealed to him a sisterly bond, one that he respected. It wasn't often that the great Titania became so fond of someone so new.

"_Ichigo!" _The woman in question's imperative voice snapped the Strawberry from his train-of-thoughts, immediately focusing on her instead. She had already made her way halfway towards the heavenly soft sofa. _"Quickly, have your shower. We're watching this tonight." _She proceeded to hold a Lacrima-Film orb labelled 'The Notepad.' If Ichigo remembered correctly, it was about a guy in a nursing home reading a story or some crap. He didn't care much for it. It lacked that spark. It lacked explosions.

The Carrot-top tried voicing his reluctance to watch the explosionless movie, but his mouth simply moved without making a sound. He didn't know why, but he couldn't reject his friend's idea. Maybe it was the hopeful sound she had made when making the request? Maybe the man actually like the film? Whatever the case, Ichigo reluctantly made his way towards the shower, vowing to cherish the warm haven ahead of him.

...You know what? On second thoughts, it was definitely Erza's sound.

F*** the film.

* * *

The pair, widely known as The Fairy King and Queen, stood in front of their guild's higher ranked noticeboard. Fairy Tail's reconstruction had recently finished, albeit with some modifications. Unlike before, the top floor was now available to all mages, not just the S-Class. Instead, S-Ranked missions and above were on a separate board, situated next to the normal one, flashily ornamented with expensive, velvet curtains and gold trimmings. After the havoc caused in Galuna Island, Erza had made sure to physically destroy both Gray and Natsu, alongside psychologically torturing Happy and Lucy, meaning nobody currently had any desire to steal an S-Ranked job.

Ichigo and Erza analysed the bountiful board, scanning the requests in order to make a decision on what their first mission back together would be. It had been a while since the Carrot-top had last been on an official guild request, causing him to almost drool in anticipation. Reaching out, he grabbed and displayed a fairly well rewarding job to his partner.

"_How about this one? We just have to defend a town from a small bandit-army. Can't be too hard, right?_

"_And how many people does 'a small bandit-army' consist of exactly?" _She deadpanned.

"_Only about a hundred; give or take a few." _The reply was short and quick and came with an innocent smile, almost as if saying one hundred enemies meant nothing. Erza blankly stared back at her friend, before giving in with a nod of her head. An army of that size would have given her at least a little grief, but if Ichigo was with her, then the mission should be a piece of cake. Strawberry cake.

"_Hold it you two." _The warm, old voice of Makarov called to the pair of mages, causing them to turn and acknowledge him. He was standing on the top floor, balancing on the banisters, his arms crossed. _"I'm afraid I can't let you go on a mission just yet, Ichigo. If you remember correctly, even though you were allowed to keep your guild mark, last year you legally left Fairy Tail. Therefore, I'm afraid you can't just revert back to your old S-Class rank." _Even though the news came as quite a shock to the newly demoted Shinigami, it didn't bother him much. Mentally, he accepting regressing back to A-Class rank. Despite legally not being considered an elite, a pair of A-Class mages were still allowed to go on S-Ranked missions, as long as an elite was accompanying them. That meant he could still go on high levelled missions; it just had to be with Erza. _"Since you've returned, I don't really have any idea how strong you are." _A devilish grin appeared upon the senior's sinisterly shadowed visage. _"Therefore, you're going to have to start from the bottom!"_

Ichigo paled. The implications of Makarov's words instantly hit him, faster than it did his redhead partner, with many other guild members still wondering what was going on. As he saw his Grandfatherly figure open his mouth once again, the Shinigami reluctantly braced himself for what he believed to be the final nail in the coffin.

"_Ichigo; for now, until you work your way up the ladder, you're an E-Class mage."_

To the Strawberry, the walls seemed like they were closing in at a rapid rate. He started to sweat profusely, gaining a ringing in his ears which exponentially increased in tone and volume. All the while, as his senses started to explode, he could feel his pride being crushed. To put the ranking system into perspective, Happy, in all his airborne majesty, was a D-Class mage, while Ichigo was a lowly E. The new demotion only meant one thing to the teen; there was one line bouncing in his mind as his honor collapsed in on itself.

According to law, Ichigo Kurosaki was currently the weakest member of Fairy Tail.

* * *

**HERE IT IS GUYS. So yeah, this is basically me setting myself up for The Promotional Exams and a unique, future arc. All in all, I didn't think this chapter had much to it when compared to the previous two, but hey, I've been busy ;)**

**So I've also decided to leave you guys with quotes that I'll be using in the near or distant future, at the end of each chapter. It might be a quote from the next chapter, or it might even be a quote a few arcs from now. So, without further adieu, here's the first of many:**

"_**It takes a brave man to reach out and grab what he wants. And that's the difference between you and I Gray; you're not a coward."**_

**Like that? Well stuff like that's going to be at the end of each chapter from now on, so you better ;)**

**And with that, I'm done for now.**

**~Legiance, out.**


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